Manicure device



Dec. 20, 1966 G. P. COCHRAN MANICURE DEVICE Filed Oct. 5. 1963 INVENT R. Gerlrye F Con/2rd? BY /MYLW A fforngvs United States Patent 3,292,202 MANICURE DEVICE George P. Cochran, P.0. Box 2496, Birmingham, Ala. 35201 Filed Oct. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 313,639 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-610) This invention relates to a manicure device and more particularly to such a device'which shall be adapted to receive the end of a finger whereby upon relative rotation of the device and the finger, the fingernail of the finger thus inserted is thoroughly cleaned.

An object of my invention is to provide a manicure device which shall be adapted for attachment to a lotion bottle or the like whereby a Cleaning lotion is supplied to the device prior to insertion of a finger therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a manicure device of the character designated which shall include a housing having a cylindrical portion adjacent an open end thereof, together with a rotary brush member which is adapted for adjustment axially of the cylindrical portion.

Another object of my invention is to provide a manicure device of the character designated which shall include means for holding the brush element at selected positions relative to the open end of the device.

A further object of my invention is to provide a manicure device of the character designated which shall be simple of construction, economical of manufacture and one which is adapted to clean fingernails with a minimum of effort. 7 V

Briefly, my improved manicure device comprises a housing having a generally smooth cylindrical portion adjacent an open end thereof a size to receive a finger. A brush member is mounted Within the housing and is provided with bristles which extend toward the open end in position to engage the fingernail of a finger thus inserted. The brush member is held in selected positions axially of the cylindrical portion of the housing to vary the position of the bristles relative to the open end, thus adapting the device for cleaning fingernails of various lengths and sizes.

Manicure devices embodying features of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the manicure device attached to a lotion container;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric View, partly broken away, showing the manicure device in use;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified form of my invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 55 of FIG. 4, showing the actuating member in unlocked position and adapted for free sliding movement relative to the housing therefor; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional View corresponding to FIG, 5, but showing the actuating member rotated to locked position whereby the adjacent portion of the housing is deformed to thus retain the actuating member in a selected position.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, I show a housing 10 which is provided with a generally cylindrical inner portion 11 adjacent an open end thereof. The housing 10 is provided with internal threads 12 adjacent the open end thereof adapted to receive the threads of a lotion container indicated generally at 13. Accordingly, the housing 10 is adapted to be attached to the lotion container 13 whereby the lotion is free to move inwardly of the cylindrical portion 11 upon inverting the container.

A threaded opening 14 is provided in the housing 10 in axial alignment with the cylindrical portion 11. As shown "ice in FIG. 2, the threaded opening 14 is in the opposite end of the housing 10 from the open end thereof having the threads 12. Threadedly engaging the threaded opening 14 is a threaded sleeve member 16 having a centrally disposed opening 17 therethrough for receiving an elongated actuating member 18. The inner end of the elongated actuating member 18 is secured to a brush member 19 having bristles 21 which extend toward the open end of the housing 10, as shown. Secured to the end of the elongated actuating member 18 outwardly of the housing 10 is an operating knob 22.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my manicure device shown in FIGS. 1-3 will be readily understood. The lotion container 13 is inverted whereby the cleaning lotion therein contacts the bristles 21 of the brush member 19. The housing 10 is then unthreaded from the container 13 and the bristles 21 of the brush 19 are adjusted to the proper position relative to the cylindrical portion 11 by rotating the threaded sleeve 16. Accordingly, the bristles 21 may be moved to any position axially of the generally cylindrical portion 11 to thus adjust the bristles for cleaning fingernails of various lengths and sizes. The finger indicated at F is then inserted in the open end of the housing, as shown in FIG. 3, whereby the fingernail engages the cylindrical portion 11 and is thus guided inwardly into contact with the bristles 21. Preferably, the inner surface of the generally cylindrical portion 11 flares outwardly toward the open end of the housing 10, as shown in FIG. 2. With the end of a finger thus inserted in the open end of the manicure device, the operating knob 22 is rotated to thus impart rotation to the brush member 19 whereupon the bristles 21 move relative to the fingernail and thus clean the same thoroughly.

Instead of rotating the operating knob 22, the entire housing 10 may be rotated relative to the end of the finger F.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6 of the drawing, I show a modified form of my invention in which a housing 10 is provided with internal threads 12 for attachment to a 10- tion container 13, as described hereinabove. A passageway 17 is provided in the housing 10 at the end thereof opposite the open threaded end 12 for receiving an elongated actuating member 18 which is adapted for axial movement relative to the passageway 17 in the housing 10 The inner end of the actuating member 18 is secured to a brush member 19 having bristles 21*. An operating knob 22 is carried by the outer end of the actuating member 18 outwardly of the housing 10*- whereby the actuating member 18* may be moved axially of the passageway 17*. The housing 10 is provided with a generally cylindrical portion 11 adjacent the open end thereof, as shown in FIG. 4, for receiving the brush member 19 Preferably, the generally cylindrical portion 11 flares outwardly toward the open end of the housing 10 as shown.

The portion of the housing 10 adjacent the passageway 17 is formed of a deformable material and the elongated actuating member 18 is provided with a flat portion 23 which is adapted to slidably engage a flat surface 24 of the passageway 17*, as shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, with the elongated actuating member 18 in the position shown in FIG. 5, the actuating member is adapted for free sliding movement relative to the passageway 17 To lock the actuating member 18 at selected positions relative to the housing 10*, I rotate the elongated actuating member 18 to the position shown in FIG. 6 whereupon a rounded portion of the actuating member 18* engages the flat surface 24 of the passageway 17 to thus deform the housing 10 as shown. By deforming the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 6, the actuating member 18 is locked against axial movement relative to the passageway 17. The brush member 19 may thus be adjusted to selected positions by 3 first moving the actuating member 18 to the proper position axially of the housing 10* and then rotating the knob 22 to thus deform the housing as shown in FIG. 6.

The operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4-6 is similar to that of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-3. Instead of rotating the actuating member 22 to impart cleaning action to a fingernail, the housing 10 is rotated whereupon rotary motion is imparted to the brush 19 to thus clean a fingernail.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised an improved device for manicuring fingernails. By providing a brush element which is adapted to be held in selected positions axially of a generally cylindrical portion of the housing, the device is adapted to accommodate fingernails of various sizes and lengths. Also, by providing a housing which is adapted to be attached to a 10- tion container, the lotion is easily applied to the bristles of the brush member immediately prior to removing the device from the lotion container. Furthermore, by providing an outwardly flaring inner surface for the generally cylindrical portion 11 and 11 the fingernail is guided inwardly toward the bristles of the brush to thus assure proper contact between the bristles and the fingernail be-,

ing cleaned.

While I have shown my invention in two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, butis susceptible of various other changes-and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. 1

What I claim is:

1. A maincure device comprising:

(a) a housing having a smooth, generally cylindrical inner portion adjacent an open end thereof of a size to receive the end of a finger and having a threaded opening at the other end thereof,

(b) a threaded sleeve in threaded engagement with said threaded opening to vary the axial position of said sleeve relative to said housing,

(c) an actuating member mounted for rotation in said sleeve, and

(d) a brush mounted on said actuating member. within the cylindrical inner portion of said housing and hav- 1 ing bristles extending toward said open end in posi- 1 tion to engage the end of a finger positioned within 1 said cylindrical portion. 2. A manicure device comprising:

(a) a housing having a smooth, generally cylindrical inner portion adjacent an open end thereof of .a

size to receive the end of a finger,

(b) a brush mounted Within said housing and having bristles extending toward said open end in position to engage the end of a finger, positioned within said cylindrical portion,

(c) an elongated actuating member connected at one end to said brush with the other end thereof projecting outwardly of the'end of said housing opposite 1 said open end,

said passageway, and

(f) the portion of said housing adjacent said passageway being of a deformable? material whereby upon rotation of said actuating member relative to. saidpas-v ageway said portion of the housing adjacent the pas:

sageway is deformed to retain said actuating member in selected positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 988,544 4/1911 Bradford 159-610 2,635,271 4/1953 Auten 151-537 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,231,814 4/1960 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. G. E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MAINCURE DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A SMOOTH, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER PORTION ADAJCENT AN OPEN END THEREOF OF A SIZE TO RECEIVE THE END OF A FINGER AND HAVING A THREADED OPENING AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, (B) A THREADED SLEEVE IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THREADED OPENING TO VARY THE AXIAL POSITION OF SAID SLEEVE RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING (C) AN ACTUATING MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID SLEEVE, AND (D) A BRUSH MOUNTED ON SAID ACTUATING MEMBER WITHIN THE CYLINDRICAL INNER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING BRISTLES EXTENDING TOWARD SAID OPEN END IN POSITION TO ENGAGE THE END OF A FINGER POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION. 